My name is Reverend Matthew Garrabrant. I am the pastor at the Magnolia Methodist Church in Magnolia, Ohio. Since beginning the call into ministry in 2007, I have served in 9 churches-several of them being multi-point charges. I serve in ministry with my wife of 28 years, Angela, and we have 8 children ranging in ages from 5 years to 25 years old. We currently call Northeast Ohio our home. I was raised by my parents on a multi-generational dairy farm where we were taught and practiced God first and family following. My parents raised my brothers and I while being active in our home church teaching and leading by the examples of Christ. God called me to to a fork in the road where I was led to be a Shepherd of His people vs being a shepherd of dairy cows. I entered the ministry giving God the ultimate lead again on my life and only He opened the doors that was needed to make that transition which involved moving, new churches and new experiences-all which result in giving Him the glory.

The Grief Recovery Method (GRM) has been vital and instrumental to the ministries that I have been called into inside and outside of God's church. As I took the GRM on a personal choice then felt the calling to go further and begin training with the GRM. Grief is all around us. Not only is grief evident inside of church but outside of the walls especially. I believe that only when we become aware of the grief that our friends, family and even strangers carry is when we are able to lend a helping hand to help them work through it, understand it and ultimately know that they don't have to carry that burden alone. The Grief Recovery Method is greatly beneficial and applicable to schools, businesses, churches, small groups and more.

I have performed hundreds of funerals for those I know and many that I didn't have an opportunity to know on a more personal level. Grief is there and it runs more deep than what is on the surface. Not only is grief there during the planning of preparing the final service for someone they love, but in their personal lives as well. In our lives of work, family, home, play and all decisions, we are all affected by some form of grief. Through the GRM training, we are reminded that we are all grievers.

In addition to full time ministry and family, I am actively involved in a local Clergy association that actively meet, support and pray for our local schools. This association is passionate and active in supporting those on the frontlines in the school system. I look forward to serving others with the Grief Recovery Method in the Stark, Tuscarawas and Carroll counties, Ohio area as well as a 60 mile radius. My daily prayer is that I follow God's lead to serve His people.